AIADMK records first ever victory in Madurai LS seat

Madurai: The AIADMK sweep in Lok Sabha elections saw the ruling party recording its first ever win in Madurai constituency when its candidate R Gopalakrishnan won by a margin 1.99 lakh votes in a multi-cornered contest.

The AIADMK, which emerged victorious in all assembly constituencies in Madurai in 2011, has now won the Lok Sabha seat also convincingly. The party won 37 of the 39 seats in the state in the April 24 elections.

Since 1952, the constituency had returned candidates of national parties like Congress or the Communists, with an exception in 2009 when DMK nominee M K Alagiri defeated CPIM's P Mohan.

Incidentally, the AIADMK had contested the seat in 2004 and lost to Mohan.

Jayalalithaa-led party was particular about winning this constituency which was under the grips of DMK strongman Alagiri, now expelled, AIADMK sources said.

DMK candidate VK Velusamy, however, gave a strange reason for his defeat saying the people were wondering what role his party would play at the Centre without an alliance in the post-poll situation.

CPI-M nominee B Vikraman said the AIADMK wave had swept the state and they did not get their share of votes due to it.

DMDK's Siva Muthukumar, who finished fourth, welcomed Modi's victory.

He said there was not much awakening among the people as to whom they have to choose and whether the election was for the Centre or state. He alleged distribution of money among the voters.

Congress nominee Bharat Natchiappan said even the party's traditional supporters did not vote for him.

The AIADMK also won the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency also after a gap of 37 years after its victory in 1977.